Last updated on July 29th, 2024 at 01:13 pm
Foot odor is the worst thing for a shoe user. It not only irritates the user but also troubles the people around. So, it is very important to remove odor from the shoes.
According to a survey by Mediplacements, they found that every one out of ten is suffering from smelly feet and also this is seen more in men than in women. This means it is a common problem that may happen to anyone.
The main reason behind this is sweat and a kind of bacteria. Whenever your feet get wet the bacteria called Kyetococcus Sedentarius forms and the lousy smell spreads.
Also, weather plays a huge role in this. You may notice that the shoe gets wetter from the inside during the rainy and summer season. Telling in simple language the shoes stink more.
Now the question is,
How to remove foot odor from leather shoes?
Now because most leather shoes cannot breathe like other breathable shoes, the situation worsens when you take the foot out of the shoe. But, nothing to worry about, I am here giving those ten methods by which you can easily solve it.
Without wasting a minute let’s move further,
Some Quick Fixes to Control Odor in Shoes
Everyone doesn’t have time to follow all the time-consuming methods. Whenever you face such a situation when you are in an office or meeting, you will not be able to instantly follow the methods below, then you can try some instant tips.
In this way, the odor will not completely vanish but yes, no one will look at you with suspicion.
1. Use Cotton Wipes
- The instant hand wipes are normally available in the offices, you need to take 2 to 4 wipes of them and first remove your shoes and socks.
- Now wipe the upper and bottom parts of your feet with the wipes gently.
- Just because you have sweaty feet your shoe stinks so when you will wipe it out the odor also starts to decrease.
- You need to use wipes inside the shoe also.
2. Fragrance Spray
- Most people carry body spray with them nowadays, so you can spray it in your shoes and on your feet for instant relief.
- I would not suggest doing this repeatedly because it can harm your feet and shoes. But yes when you have no other option you can try it.
How to Remove Foot Odor from Leather Shoes For a Long Time
1. Use Breathable Shoes
Breathable shoes prove to be effective for this problem to a great extent. It does not completely remove the odor but does reduce it by 70% to 75%.
Whenever you wear breathable shoes your feet gets air to breathe properly and for this, your feet get less sweaty which means less odor. Also, due to the heat inside the shoe, sweat comes out in the form of water vapor out of the shoe to make the feet cool and less stinky.
But one problem is that it cannot eliminate the bacteria which cause the odor and that’s why it is not a permanent solution.
To identify a breathable leather shoe you can notice very small holes on the surface. Always make sure when you are cleaning the shoes, with a needle always clean the small pores of the shoes to make the breathing system works fine.
2. Use Always Cotton Socks
Not using socks when wearing a shoe is considered a bad practice. Well, the socks absorb the sweat from your feet and due to this, the odor-causing bacteria are prevented from growing.
On the other hand always try to use cotton socks, because the liquid absorbent power of cotton is more. Also, the other materials like polyester or nylon fabrics are too harsh for the skin which can cause itching.
Always keep in mind that the socks have to be washed thoroughly with detergent after a single use to eliminate the smell and also never keep the socks inside the shoes after use.
3. Keep Cotton Balls Inside
If your feet sweat a lot or when you wear the shoe for a very long time, then socks alone will not work. So, you can do one thing by making small cotton balls and keeping them in different areas inside the shoe.
In this case when you will release excess sweat so that the cotton balls can absorb that and make the shoe stink free. Always repeat the process after a single use.
4. Use Tea Bags
One of the best ways to remove foot odor from shoes is to keep tea bags inside when you are not wearing your shoes. If you know it or not, then let me tell you that tea bags absorb moisture very well.
After using the shoe, due to moisture inside, bacteria or fungus start to form, which increases the odor. But when you keep the tea bags inside, it absorbs the smelly moisture.
On the other hand, you can use the combination of baking soda and corn flour in the same percentage. As both have the nature of absorbing water so which will help to remove the bad smell.
5. Use Lemon Peels
We all know the many benefits of lemon and one of them is that it proves to be effective in removing any kind of bad smell because it is a proven natural antiperspirant.
Due to its acidic nature lemon has antifungal and antibacterial properties so it can easily kill those stink-causing bacteria and fungus in your shoe. Keep lemon peels inside the shoe for at least 2 to 3 hours when not wearing to get rid of it.
6. Keep Shoes Always Dry
Now I told you about the demerits of moisture inside the shoe.
But How do keep shoes dry?
Antifungal Powder: Antifungal powder absorbs moisture and also kills molds and bacteria.
Sunlight: Before and after using the shoe always keep them under the sunlight for some hours to make them stink and moisture free.
Tissue Paper: It can absorb the moisture from the shoe but is not an effective solution to eliminate those fungi spores.
You Can Also Read: How To Remove Fungus From Leather Shoes
7. Use an Odor Remover
Odor remover just eliminates the bad smell from your feet and shoe instantly. If you are not satisfied with the above methods then you can invest in a good shoe deodorizer.
However, if you see the basic ingredients of a shoe or foot deodorizer, it is mainly made up of lemongrass oil or tea tree oil and some other natural oils that I already discussed. That means the process is the same just here you get a solution faster.
The process to apply it is very simple just spray it over your feet after cleaning and also apply it to the shoe before use. It mainly helps to kill bacteria and fungus and also smoothens the skin.
8. Use Silica Gel Sachets
Silica gel has a great property to absorb moisture from the environment whether it is smelly or not. It can absorb the smell producing sweat from your shoes.
If you have noticed silica gel is mainly found inside the tablet or capsule boxes so, which can save the medicines from damage due to moisture. Also, silica gels are used in many areas like in transformers also.
You can buy it from any shopping website or your nearest stores. Keep it in the shoes overnight so, it can absorb the sweat and help to reduce the stink.
You can also take it from your used medicine box, but always keep in mind that silica gel changes its color as soon as it draws moisture up to its limit or if there is some dirt from the environment. So, do not use it if its transparent color changed to light blue or pink.
9. Care for Your Feet
If seen, this is the root cause because your foot itself produces odor, due to which your shoe smells bad. So, if you take care of your feet, then this problem can be eradicated.
The odor is produced due to the sweat so, after and before wearing shoes make sure you clean your feet with a bar of antibacterial soap and water. Gently rub your skin with soap so, there is no infection due to bacteria and fungus.
Dry your feet and apply anti-fungal powder and keep it overnight. If you are feeling itchy after using the shoe, then with the help of antifungal powder or ointment, this thing will go away.
Also, try not to wear the shoe throughout the day or wear it by alternating two pairs so that this problem can be overcome to a great extent.
10. Take a Healthy Diet
Now you will also know that as you eat food, your body performs in the same way. If you are eating unhealthy or junk foods then your body will require more water to digest.
That means more sweat will come out from the body, especially from your feet, due to which your feet stink more.
Basically, you need to find a way to reduce sweating and because of that bacteria and fungus do not grow. So, try to take a healthy diet having more vegetables and fruits so this problem can be controlled to some extent.
Final Thoughts on How to Remove Foot Odor from Leather Shoes
Sweating is a normal process and we cannot stop it but due to this, the problem which comes in front of us can definitely be stopped. But to solve it by going through an expensive way may be a fast solution but not the best solution.
Whenever you are wearing a shoe try to avoid removing it in public if you are suffering from excess stinky feet problems. You can apply step 9 when you are removing the shoe. Also, changing one extra pair of shoes every other day is a good way to get rid of this to a great extent.
I think I am quite successful to make you understand how to remove foot odor from leather shoes, if your answer is yes then let me know your experience and thoughts.
Thanks for reading this article…….
FAQ on How to Remove Foot Odor from Leather Shoes
How to Remove Smell from Shoes Instantly?
For instant smell removal change your shocks and clean your feet or apply an antifungal powder. Also instead of antifungal powder, you can use a good shoe deodorizer.
Do Leather Shoes Smell Less?
It depends, however, some leather materials are breathable so it kind of helps to reduce the smell. But the main reason for the smell is your sweaty feet.
Which One is the Best Deodorizer for Leather Shoes?
I will recommend KIWI Sneaker and Shoe Deodorizer and Dr. Scoll’s Probiotic Foot Spray because of their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Hey, I am an Electrical Engineer by profession and the Founder cum writer at PRE LEATHER. I share the knowledge and experiences that I gained, through PRE LEATHER. It is a passion for me, Read More